Everything happened fast after that, but it seemed to me like it was happening to someone else who had temporarily taken up residence in my body. Neferet immediately took charge. She assessed Aphrodite and me and decided (unfortunately) that I was the only one still together enough to return with them to the body. She called for Dragon Lankford, who showed up armed. I heard Neferet checking with Dragon about which warriors had already come back from winter break. It seemed like seconds later that two tall, muscular male vamps appeared. I vaguely recognized them. There was always an assortment of adult vamps coming and going from the school. I'd learned early that vampyre society was heavily matriarchal, which just means women run things. It doesn't mean that male vamps aren't respected, though. They are. It's just that their gifts are usually more in the physical realm and women's gifts are more intellectual and intuitive. Bottom line is, male vampyres are amazing warriors and protectors. These two plus Dragon and Loren made me feel about a zillion times safer.
That doesn't mean I was thrilled about leading them to Professor Nolan's body. We got in one of the school SUVs and retraced the path I'd taken to the school. With a shaking hand I pointed to the spot where I'd pulled to the side of the road. Dragon parked the SUV.
"I was driving by and here's where Aphrodite said she felt like something was wrong," I launched into our Big Lie. "We couldn't see much from here." My eyes skittered over to the dark area by the trapdoor in the wall. "I felt weird, too, so we decided to check out what was wrong." I drew a shaky breath. "I guess I thought there might be a kid who was trying to sneak back to the dorm, but she couldn't find the trapdoor." I swallowed to clear the thickness in my throat. "As we got closer to the wall we could tell there was something there. Something terrible. And-and I smelled the blood. When we realized what it was-that it was Professor Nolan-we came straight to you."
"Can you go over there again, or would you rather stay here and wait for us?" Neferet's voice was kind and understanding, and I wished with everything inside me that she was still one of the good guys.
"I don't want to be alone," I said.
"Then you'll come with me," she said. "The warriors will protect us. You have nothing to fear now, Zoey." I nodded and got out of the SUV. The two warriors, Dragon and Loren, flanked Neferet and me. It seemed to take only a couple of seconds to cross the grassy area and get within smelling-and seeing-distance of the crucified body. I felt my knees go all shaky as the fresh horror of what had been done to her registered on my already shocked senses.
"Oh, gracious Goddess!" Neferet gasped. She moved forward slowly until she reached the terrible staked head. I watched as she stroked Professor Nolan's hair back and then rested her hand on the dead woman's forehead.
"Find peace, my friend. Rest in the green meadows of our Goddess. It is there we will, one day, meet again." Just as I felt my knees give way a strong hand was under my elbow holding me steady.
"You're okay. You'll make it through this."
I looked up at Loren and had to blink hard to focus on him. He kept his hold on me, but pulled from his pocket one of those old-fashioned linen handkerchiefs. It was only then that I noticed that I was crying.
"Loren, take Zoey back to the dorm. There's nothing more she can do here. As soon as we're properly protected, I'm going to call the human police," Neferet said, and turned her sharp gaze on Dragon. "Get the other warriors back here now." Dragon flipped open his cell phone and started making calls. Then Neferet turned her attention to me. "I know this was a terrible thing for you to see, but I'm proud that you managed to stay strong through it."
I couldn't make my voice work, so I just nodded.
"Let's get you home, Zoey," Loren murmured.
As Loren helped me back to the SUV a cold rain started to fall softly all around us. I looked back over my shoulder and saw that it was washing the blood from Professor Nolan's body as if the Goddess herself was weeping her loss.
All the way back to the school Loren kept talking to me. I don't really remember what he was saying. I just know that he was telling me everything was going to be okay in that beautiful, rich voice of his. I could feel it wrapping around me and trying to keep me warm. He parked and led me through the school, still keeping a strong hold on my arm. When he took a turn that brought us to the dining hall instead of the dorm I looked at him questioningly.
"You need something to drink and something to eat. Then you need sleep. I'm going to make sure you get the first two before the second." He paused and smiled sadly. "Even though you look ready to pass out on your feet."
"I'm not really hungry," I said.
"I know, but eating will make you feel better." His hand slid down from my elbow to hold mine. "Let me cook for you, Zoey."
I let him pull me into the kitchen. His hand was warm and strong, and I could feel it starting to unthaw the frozen numbness that had settled into me.
"Can you cook?" I asked him, grabbing at any subject that wasn't death and horror.
"Yes, but not well," he grinned, looking like a handsome little boy.
"That doesn't sound promising," I said. I felt my face smile, but it seemed stiff and awkward, like I'd forgotten how.
"Don't worry, I'll be gentle with you." He pulled a stool out from the corner of the room and put it next to the long butcher block counter that sat in the middle of the enormous kitchen. "Sit," he ordered. I did as he said, relieved I didn't have to stand up anymore. He turned to the cabinets and started pulling things from them and one of the walk-in refrigerators (not that one they kept the blood in, though).
"Here, drink this. Slowly."
I blinked in surprise at the large goblet of red wine. "I don't really like-"
"You'll like this wine." His dark eyes held mine. "Trust me and drink it." I did as he told me. The taste exploded on my tongue, sending sparks of heat throughout my body. "It has blood in it!" I gasped.
"It does." He was making a sandwich and he didn't even look up at me. "It's how vampyres drink their wine-laced with blood." He did glance up to meet my eyes then. "If the taste is disagreeable to you, I'll get you something else to drink."
"No, it's fine. I'll drink it like this." I took another sip, forcing myself not to chug it all down in one huge swallow.
"I had a feeling you wouldn't have a problem with it."
My eyes shot back to his. "Why would you say that?" I could feel my strength as well as my wits returning to me as the wonderful blood settled into my body.
He kept making the sandwich and shrugged. "You Imprinted that human boy, didn't you? That's how you were able to find and rescue him from the serial killer."
"Yeah."
When I didn't say anything else he glanced up at me and smiled. "I thought so. It happens. Sometimes we accidentally Imprint."
"Fledglings don't. We're not even supposed to be drinking human blood," I said. Loren's smile was warm and filled with appreciation. "You're not a normal fledgling, so the normal rules don't apply to you." His gaze held mine and it seemed he was talking about much more than accidentally drinking a little human blood.
He made me feel hot and cold-scared but totally grown-up and sexy-all at once. I kept my mouth shut and went back to sipping the blood-spiked wine. (I know it sounds completely gross, but it was delicious.)
"Here, eat this." He passed the plate to me that held the ham and cheese sandwich he'd just made me. "Wait, you'll need some of these, too." He rummaged around in a cabinet until he made a little "ahha!" noise and turned around to pour a big ol' pile of nacho cheese-flavored Doritos on my plate. I smiled. This time my mouth felt more natural doing it. "Doritos! That's perfect." I took a big bite as I realized I really was starving. "You know, they don't like fledglings to eat junk food like this."
"As I said"-Loren smiled his slow, sexy smile at me again-"you're not like the rest of those fledgling children. And I happen to adhere to the belief that some rules were meant to be broken." His eyes went from my eyes to the diamond earrings that nestled in my earlobes.
I felt my face getting hot, so I refocused on eating, glancing up only once in a while at him. Loren hadn't made himself a sandwich, but he had poured himself a glass of wine and was drinking it slowly while he watched me eat. I was just getting ready to tell him that he was making me nervous when he finally said something.
"Since when are you and Aphrodite friends?"
"We're not," I said around a bite of sandwich (which actually was very good-so he's ridiculously handsome, sexy, smart, and he can cook!). "I was driving back to school and I saw her walking." I lifted one shoulder like I couldn't give a good poop about her. "I figure it's part of my job as leader of the Dark Daughters to be nice, even to her. So I gave her a ride."
"I'm a little surprised she accepted a ride from you. Aren't you two sworn enemies?"
"Whatever! Sworn enemies? I don't think much about her at all." I wished I could tell Loren the truth about Aphrodite. Actually, I hated lying (and I'm really not very good at it, although I seemed to be getting better with practice). But even as I thought about liking to unload to Loren, I was slammed in the gut with a feeling that plainly said no way do you tell him. So I smiled and chewed my sandwich and basically just tried to focus on the fact that I was feeling less Night of the Living Dead.
Which reminded me of Professor Nolan. I put down the half-eaten sandwich and took another gulp of wine.
"Loren, who could have done something like that to Professor Nolan?"
The expression on his handsome face darkened. "I think the quote made it pretty obvious."
"Quote?"
"Didn't you see what was written on the paper they staked to her?" I shook my head, feeling a little queasy again. "I know there was something written on the paper, but I couldn't look long enough to read it."
"It said, 'Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. Exodus 22:18.' And repent written and underlined several times."
Something tickled at my memory and I felt a burning begin inside of me that had nothing to do with the blood in my wine. "The People of Faith."
"That's what it looks like." Loren shook his head. "I wondered what the priestesses were thinking when they decided to buy this place and set up a House of Night here. Seemed to be asking for trouble. There are few parts of the country more narrow-minded and rabid about what they call their religious beliefs." He shook his head and looked truly angry. "Although I don't understand worshipping a god who denigrates women and whose 'true believers' feel it's their right to look down on anyone who doesn't think exactly as they do."
"That's not how everyone is in Oklahoma," I said firmly. "There's also a strong Native American belief system, and lots of regular people who don't buy into the stupid People of Faith prejudices."
"Regardless, it's the People of Faith who are most vocal."
"Just because they have the biggest mouths that doesn't make them right." He laughed and his face relaxed. "You're feeling better."
"Yeah, I guess I am." I yawned.
"Better but exhausted, I bet," he said. "Time to head to your dorm and your bed. You'll need to rest and regain your strength for what is to come."
I felt an icy prick of fear in my stomach, and I wished I hadn't eaten so many chips. "What's going to happen?"
"It's been decades since there's been an open attack by humans on vampyres. It will change things." The cold fear expanded in my gut. "Change things? How?"
Loren met my gaze. "We will not suffer insult without giving insult in return." His expression went hard, and all of a sudden he looked more warrior than poet, more vampyre than human. He looked powerful and dangerous and exotic and more than a little scary. Okay, he was honestly the hottest thing I'd ever seen. Then, as if realizing he'd said too much, he smiled and walked around the counter to stand close to me. "But you don't need to worry about any of that. Within twenty-four hours the school will be flooded with our elite vampyre warriors, the Sons of Erebus. No human fanatic will be able to touch any of us." I frowned, worrying about the ramifications of increased security. How the hell was I supposed to sneak myself and squishy bags of blood out to Stevie Rae with a zillion testosterone-filled warriors banging their chests and being all superprotective?
"Hey, you'll be safe. I promise." Loren took my chin in his hands and tilted my face up. Nervous anticipation made my breath go all quick and my stomach feel all fluttery. I'd tried to put him out of my mind, tried not to think about his kisses and the way he made my blood pound when he looked at me, but the truth was that even knowing how much my being with Loren would hurt Erik, and with the stress of Stevie Rae and Aphrodite and the horror of what had happened to Professor Nolan, I could still feel the imprint of his lips on mine. I wanted him to kiss me again and again and again.
"I believe you," I whispered. Right then I swear I would have believed anything he said to me.
"It pleases me to see you wearing my earrings."
Before I could say anything, he bent and kissed me, long and deep. His tongue met mine and I could taste wine and a seductive hint of blood in his mouth. After what seemed like a long time he lifted his mouth from mine. His eyes were dark and he was breathing deeply.
"I need to get you back to your dorm before I'm tempted to keep you beside me forever," he said. I used all the brilliance of my wit and managed to breathlessly say, "Okay." He took my arm again, like he had supported me on the way in. This time the touch felt hot and intimate. Our bodies brushed against each other as we walked through the gloomy morning to the girls' dorm. He led me up the front stairs and opened the door. The big dayroom was deserted. I glanced at the clock and could hardly believe it was a little after nine a.m.
Loren lifted my hand quickly to his mouth, kissing it warmly before he dropped it. "A thousand times good night. A thousand times the worse, to want thy light. Love goes toward love as schoolboys from their books, but love from love, toward school with heavy looks."
I vaguely recognized the lines from Romeo and Juliet. Was he telling me he loved me? My face flushed with nerves and excitement.
"Good-bye," I said softly. "Thank you for taking care of me."
"It was my pleasure, my lady," he said. "Adieu." He bowed to me, closing his fist over his heart in a respectful vampyre salute from a warrior to his High Priestess, and then he was gone. In a haze of leftover shock and the lightheadedness Loren's kisses made me feel, I practically stumbled up the stairs and to my room. I thought about going to see Aphrodite, but I was on the edge of total exhaustion and there was only one thing I had enough energy to do before I passed out. First, I dug into my wastepaper basket and found the two halves of the horrid birthmas card Mom and the step-loser had sent me. I felt a sick jolt in my stomach as I held the edges together and saw that I'd remembered right. It had been a cross with a note staked to the middle of it. Yes. It did remind me eerily of what had been done to Professor Nolan.
Before I could change my mind, I took out my cell phone, drew a deep breath, and dialed the number. Mom answered on the third ring.
"Hello! It's a blessed morning!" she said perkily. Clearly she hadn't checked the caller I.D.
"Mom, it's me."
As I expected, her tone instantly changed. "Zoey? What's happened now?" I was too tired to play our usual mother-daughter games. "Where was John late last night?"
"What ever do you mean, Zoey?"
"Mom, I don't have time for this crap. Just tell me. After you two left Utica Square, what did you do?"
"I don't think I like your tone, young lady."
I stifled an urge to scream in frustration. "Mom, this is important. Very important. As in life and death."
"You're always so dramatic," she said. Then she gave a nervous little fake laugh. "Your father came home with me, of course. We watched a football game on TV and then we went to bed."
"What time did he leave for work this morning?"
"What a silly question! He left about an hour and a half ago, as usual. Zoey, what is this about?" I hesitated. Could I tell her? What had Neferet said about calling the police? Surely what had happened to Professor Nolan would be plastered all over the news later today. But not yet. Not now. And I knew darn well my mother couldn't be trusted to keep anything quiet.
"Zoey? Are you going to answer me?"
"Just watch the news. You'll see what it's about," I said.
"What have you done?" I realized she didn't sound worried or upset, only resigned.
"Nothing. It's not me. You better look closer to home for who did what. And remember, I don't live at your home anymore."
Her voice turned brittle. "That's right. You most certainly do not. I don't know why you're even calling here. Didn't you and your hateful grandmother say you weren't going to talk to me anymore?"
"Your mother is not hateful," I said automatically.
"She is to me!" my mother snapped.
"Never mind. You're right. I shouldn't have called. Have a good life, Mom." I said, and hung up on her. Mom had been right about one thing. I should never have called her. The card was probably just a coincidence anyway. I mean, there are only about a gazillion religious specialty stores in Tulsa and Broken Arrow. They all carry those crappy cards. And they all tend to look the same-either doves and waves washing over footprints in the sand, or crosses and blood and nails. It didn't necessarily mean anything. Did it?
My head felt as woozy as my stomach felt sick. I needed to think, and I couldn't think while I was so tired. I'd sleep and then try to figure out what I should do. Instead of throwing the card away, I put the two halves in the top drawer of my desk. Then I yanked off my clothes and pulled on my most comfortable pair of sweats. Nala was already snoring on my pillow. I snuggled next to her, closed my eyes, forced my mind to clear of terrible images and unspeakable questions, and instead concentrated on my cat's purring until I finally drifted off into an exhausted sleep.